Turkey continued shelling
border areas in Iraqi Kurdistan. No casualties or damages were yet
reported, but the artillery fire panicked the area’s residents. Separately, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğanre-iterated the claim that
Turkey does not need permission to cross the border to attack Kurdish rebels.
Iraq has stated otherwise but does not have the ability to stop any incursions
by neighboring states.

Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi‘s weeklong
criticism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earned him a request
for dismissal from Maliki’s State of Law party. The group said the speaker
cannot perform his duties if he isn’t neutral. Meanwhile, An Iraqiya lawmaker said
the party still wants to withdraw confidence from Maliki. Also, Shi’ite cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr insisted
that the process itself would please God. The two main Kurdish parties also
came out in support of
withdrawing confidence but suggested that President Jalal Talabani, who is
Kurdish, remain neutral.

At least two Iraqis were killed and eight more were
wounded in light violence.